Photographer&#39;s combination baby-holder and lounge.



Patented Feb. 6, I900. W. A.'HENNESSEY &. W. W. McLAIN.

PI'IUTOGRAPHERS COMBINATION BABY HOLDER AND LOUNGE.

(Appli'cation filed June 8, 1899.)

(N0 ModeI.)

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NITED STATES PATENT Erica.

WILLIAM A. HEN-NESSEY, OF DELAVAN, VVISOONSIN, AND WVILLIAM W. MGLAIN, OF PAOLA, KANSAS; SAID MCLAIN ASSIGNOR TO EMELIA F.

MOLAIN, OF PAOLA, KANSAS.

PHOTOGRAPHERS COMBINATION BABY-HOLDE R AND LOUNGE.

sPncIrI'cATIon forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,607, dated February 6, 1eoo.

Application filed June 8, 1899- $e1'ialN0- 7l9,858. (N0 model.)

front edge to the outer edge of the frame 1, 56

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM A. HENNES- SEY, of Delavan, WValworth county, Wisconsin, and WILLIAM W. MCLAIN, of Paola,

' Miami county, Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Photographers Combination Baby-Holder and Lounge, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a combination baby-holder and lounge, and more especially to a device of this character whereby an infant or small child maybe properly supported to be photographed Without the inconvenience and trouble generally attendant upon such occasions. I

A further object is to provide a device of this character whereby the baby may be reliably held and the attendant holding the child effectively screened.

A still further object is to produce a device of this character of knockdown or folding construction, so that it may be easily and con veniently packed in a narrow grip and carried from place to place as easily as an ordinary grip.

A still further object of the invention is to produce a device of this character of simple, durable, and cheap construction. a

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that the invention may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in-which- Figure l is a perspective view of the device when arranged as a lounge. Fig. 2 is a perspective view when the device is arranged as a double seat. Fig. 3 is a verticalsection to illustrate the sliding connection of the arm or head rest. Fig. t is a vertical central transverse section on an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the shelf forming the frame or bottom of the lounge or seat.

In said drawings, 1 designates a rectangular frame of suitable dimensions and by preference ornamented at its front side by upholstery or in any other manner.

2 designates a shelf which is hinged at its as shown at 3, and is adapted to be folded down flatly against the frame 1 for convenience of transportation. Said shelf about midway its length, but near its rear edge by preference, carries the vertical bolt 4,engaged by the clamping hand-nut 5. The log or brace for this shelf is constructed, preferably, of a wire rod bent to approximately inverted-U form, and when said brace is in operative position its bridge or horizontal portion forms a support for the shelf. The bolt 4 extends down through said bridge portion, and the shelf is clamped reliably in position upon the brace by means of the nut 5 in an obvious manner. The rear leg 6 of the brace is preferably forked or branched at its lower end and rests upon the ground, While its front leg 7 extends down through an eyebolt 8, projecting rearward from the screen-frame 1, said frame being termed the screen-frame because it screens from view the mother or other person sitting behind it and holding the child in position, as hereinafter explained.

9 designates the back of the seat or lounge, said back being preferably detachable and secured in position upon the shelf by means of dowel-pins 10, entering the shelf, and pivoted hooks 11, engaging staples or eyes 12 of the shelf, and this back is provided with an opening 13, through which the babys skirts may be drawn in order that the attendant at the rear may easily keep a firm grasp thereon.

The shelf 2 is provided with a pair of longitudinal slots 15 or, in lieu thereof, with a single long slot and is provided with a metallic reinforcing or strengthening frame 16 at its under side, said frame being formed with a slot 17, registering with the slot or slots 15.

18 designates a pair of cylindrical arm or head rests, performing the function of arm rests when the device is used as a seat and of a head-rest when the device is transformed into a lounge. When used as a lounge, one

of these head-rests or arm-rests is, by preference, removed; but when used as a seat both are employed, each resting upon the shelf in front of the back 9 and provided with a vernamental appearance.

tically-depending bolt 19, said bolt extending down through the slot or slots 15 of the shelf and engaged below the latter by the handnuts 20, the latter binding against the metal-.

lic reinforce-strips at the under side of the shelf, as shown clearly in Figs. 3 and 4. By this arrangement it is obvious that a single turn of the hand-nuts will permit a longitudinal adjustment upon the shelf of the arm or head rests and that either of the latter may be removed after removing its corresponding hand-nut. These arm-rests, as well as the back 9, are-designed to be upholstered in order that they may be comfortable and of or- The seat proper consists, preferably, of three parts or sections 21 22 23, hinged together, the section 21 being double the size of section 22 or 23, so that the smaller sections 22 and 23 may be folded inward upon the section 21 when it is desired to arrange the device as a seat for a single child, in this case it being obvious that the arm-rests 18 are adjusted inward, as shown at Fig. 3. In this position the mother or attendant may draw the childs skirts through the opening 13 or may reach through the opening 13 and grasp the skirts and'hold the child securely in the desired position without being exposed to the camera, it being of course assumed that she assumes a sitting or stooping posture behind the screen. The seat is secured in position by means of a bolt 21, extending down through the shelf and engaged by a clamping-nut 21".

When it is desired to arrange the device as a double chair in order that two babies may be photographed at the same time, the seat is unfolded as shown in Fig. 2, the arm-rests of course being adjusted outwardly to accommodate the extension of the seat.

When it is desired to use the device as a lounge in order that an infant or child may be photographed in a reclining posture, one of the arm-rests may be removed, as hereinbefore indicated, and replaced by a supplemental seat-section 24: in order that the shelf may appear upholstered for its full length, it being understood, of course, that the seat is upholstered to correspond with the screen, back, and arm rests. In this case also the hinged seat-section adjacent to the remainin g arm-rest is preferably braced against the latter in an inclined position, as shown in Fig. 1. In this case, furthermore, in order that the skirtsof the child may be more ef; fectively draped it is desirable to Widen the shelf or support, and thiswe accomplish by means of the supplemental front shelf 25,

. also upholstered and provided with the headupper edge of frame 1 by means of dowel pins 27, entering the upper edge of the seatframe, (see Fig. 4,) and hooks 28, pivoted to the frame 1 and engaging eyebolts 29, projecting from said supplemental-shelf exten sion, though it is obvious that this shelf may be otherwise supported, as may also be the back 9.

Supposing the parts to be arranged as shown in Fig. 1 and it be desired to pack them in a grip, it is obvious that it can be accomplished by simply disengaging hook 28 and lifting olf the supplemental seat 25, then removing the head or arm rests, the back-rest, and the folding seat and, after unscrewing or removing the hand-nut 5 from bolt 4, raising the shelf slightly upward to disengage the bolt from the brace. The latter is then withdrawn from the eyebolt and the shelf folded back against the screen. The detached parts may then be arranged flatly against the back of the screen and the whole incased in a comparatively small grip.

From the above description it will be apparent that we have produced a device which will be found of inestimable convenience and value to photographers, in that it will save them a great deal of time in arranging for photographing infants. It is also obvious that it posseses the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of invention, and it is to be understood that while we have illustrated the preferred embodiment of our invention we reserve the right to make all changes which properly fall within its spirit and scope.

Having thus described the invention, what We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A combination baby-holder and lounge, comprising a screen, a shelf hinged to the up per end of the screen and provided with a back and arm or head rests, and a brace to sup port the shelf, substantially as described.

2. A combination baby-holder and lounge,-

comprising a screen, a shelf hinged to the upper end of the screen and provided with a back and arm or head rests, an inverted=U- shaped brace clamped to the shelf and supporting the same, and an eyebolt projecting from said screen and embracing said brace, substantially as described.

3. A combination baby-holder and lounge, comprising a screen, a shelf hinged to the upper end of the screen, a brace connected to the screen and the shelf to support the latter, said shelf having a back and arm or head rests, the latter being adjustable toward or from each other upon the shelf, substantially as described.

4. A combination baby-holder and lounge, comprising a screen, a shelf hinged to the upper end of thescreen, a brace connected to the screen and the shelf to support the latter, said shelf having a back and arm or head rests, the latter being adjustable toward or from its each other upon the shelf, and a folding seat secured upon the shelf, substantially as described.

5. In a'eombination baby-holder and lounge, a screen, a shelf hinged to the upper end of the screen, a brace connected to the screen and to the shelf to support the latter, a back secured to the shelf and provided with an opening, and an arm-rest secured upon the shelf, substantially as described.

6. In a combination baby-holder and lounge, a screen, a shelf hinged to the front end of the screen, a brace connected to the screen and to the shelf to support the latter, a back secured to the shelf and provided with an opening, an arm-rest secured upon the shelf, a foldable seat upon the shelf, and a supple- WILLIAM A. HENNESSEY. WILLIAM W. MOLAIN.

Witnesses:

HARRIET L. BAKER, HARRY S. BAKER. 

